Carolina Panthers Draft: Is Jeff Okudah the next great shutdown corner?
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers are looking for secondary help in the 2020 NFL Draft, but will Jeff Okudah be there when they pick at No. 7?
Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah is the real deal. He has all the makings of the next great shutdown cornerback and has the potential to be an All-Pro within his first few seasons in the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers are looking for substantial reinforcements at the position heading into 2020. They lost free agent James Bradberry after the talented player penned a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the New York Giants in free agency that included $31.98 million guaranteed.
He will need to be replaced at some stage with one of the Panthers’ first few selections. The defense looks devoid of depth and this does not bode well for the team’s chances in the NFC South next season.
Okudah is the cream of the cornerback crop and could go as early as No. 3 to the Detroit Lions. If he somehow drops into Carolina’s lap at No. 7, it appears to be a no-brainer for the franchise.
The prospect is so well-rounded it is actually scary. Cornerbacks normally struggle in their first year at the next level. But Okudah has the potential to be an instant impact player that could emerge as one of the best at the position in no time at all.
His footwork is absolutely ridiculous for a man of his size. He also has the agility and fluid movement that makes him a can’t-miss player.
Okudah’s instincts are already next level and he has no trouble jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage or going with them down the field. The player has great hands and can be left on an island with no danger of him being exposed.
His tackling does need some slight improvement. But one is really just picking holes in his game for the sake of it regarding a player with the highest upside possible.